Warrington Town 3 Ashton United 0, match report

Josh Amis’ superb form continued as his brace helped Yellows complete a commanding victory over Ashton United in front of more than 900 fans at Cantilever Park.

Amis first prodded home from Connor Woods’ cut-back before nodding in Evan Gumbs’ flick on from a corner on the stroke of half-time.

Substitute Luke Duffy added an excellent third goal late on – tricking his way into the area before finishing expertly – before he was brought down in the box to give Amis the chance of a hat-trick with the last kick of the game.

Luke Duffy celebrates scoring against Ashton (Image: Sean Walsh)

Unfortunately for the skipper, though, his spot kick was saved by Robins goalkeeper Tom Scott but it mattered level as Town’s 21st game unbeaten sent them up to second in the table.

"I thought we were excellent today," manager Mark Beesley said.

"It’s a tough week we’ve had with all the games and the quality of the opposition – it’s tough to ask them to go again but I thought the lads did exceptionally.

"They had a bit of possession but I don’t think they really hurt us, while we were always a threat on the counter.

"In the end, we’re probably a little bit disappointed we didn’t score a few more.

"They’re doing well and had won their last four, plus they had a week’s rest so there were a few things in their favour but we were dominant throughout.

"We had some really good individual performances but as a team, we were very good."

Luke Duffy is congratulated after scoring Town's third goal (Image: Sean Walsh)

Read Matt Turner's full verdict below

IN the past, Warrington Town have probably been guilty of making life a little harder for themselves than necessary.

Around this time last season, they were dropping points in silly places and ended up giving themselves a tougher route through the play-offs – once they came extremely close to navigating successfully – than they may have had.

This time around, though, the opposite appears true as Yellows marched relentlessly through another opponent.

A game against an Ashton side who were in fine recent form and arrived with a good record at Cantilever Park was quite the banana skin, but they avoided it comfortably.

They set traps for a Robins side who were intent on playing out from the back and when they fell into them, they struck at key times.

Connor Woods was key to that and it was his relentless work rate that crafted the chance for Josh Amis to extend his superb recent run of form.

He should have had a hat-trick as he saw his late penalty saved, but six goals in five games is the return of a man hitting peak form at the right time.

Josh Amis wheels away to celebrate his second goal (Image: Sean Walsh)

As a team, too, the goals are starting to go in having struggled on that front for most of the campaign – this is the fourth time in the past five matches they have scored three goals or more in a game.

The authority they are exuded on the pitch at the moment is one of a side knowing they can rise above whatever the opposition can throw at them and if they can keep that going for another five games – three league fixtures and two play-off games – it will surely result in promotion.

Their place in the end-of-season shake-up is now all but secured, so now the focus is rolling into it in this vein.

At the moment, though, nobody will relish coming up against this Town side with everything on the line.

Warrington Town: Thompson, Walker, White, Hannigan, Gumbs, Harris, Woods (Duffy), McDonald (Williams), Amis, Dixon, Buckley-Ricketts (Mols). Subs not used: Buckley, Warren